20 April 2016

Restaurant Review: The Shears Inn, Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire

A few weeks ago, Liam suggested we go and check out a pub in the quaint village of Collingbourne Ducis which isn't too far away from where we live. He saw it on his way back from work one night - The Shears Inn, which looked impressive and so cosy settled on a quiet street was welcoming, and we really needed to get out of the house. So on a Sunday evening, we checked out the menu online and were really looking forward to heading out - and we weren't disappointed.
The Shears Inn is a beautiful, old country pub with delicious grub, a fireplace and lovely staff - everything that you would want for a nice, chilled out evening out. We ordered a glass of wine and a beer, and got stuck in to choosing what to have for dinner.

For starters, Liam had the baked camembert infused with garlic and truffle oil, and warm crusty bread; and I went for the snails in garlic sauce with bread - oh my YUM. I love snails, when cooked properly they're so delicious - and the sauce is perfect for dipping your bread in. I first had snails when we lived in Denmark and after watching It Takes Two (I was like 6 or 7 at the time) where one of the Olsen twins eats snails and says they taste like balloons, I really needed to try one. My mum went out and bought some snails to cook at home - ever since then I've been a huge fan!
The baked camembert was a bowl of melted garlicky perfection - we both tucked in and couldn't get enough! I forgot how much I love baked camembert - it was so nice with a warm crusty baguette and a bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar... We didn't wait very long for our food - it was a nice amount of time to sit and chat for a while, sip our drinks and enjoy the burning logs on the fire.

Our mains came out shortly after the starters left our table - Liam ordered confit of duck (his favourite by the looks of it as he always goes for this item when we try out new restaurants) and I had (drumroll....) the cheeseburger with hand cut chips. I always judge an eatery by their burgers - I have mine cooked medium/rare and if a restaurant can produce a medium burger then I suddenly trust their standards of food. Also, it's a skill to cook a perfect medium burger! The chef at The Shears nailed it! My burger was perfect - deliciously crisp on the outside, and nice and pink in the middle... The coleslaw on the side was delicious and fresh, and my chips were yummy. I really couldn't fault this meal - I enjoyed every bit of it, even though there was a lot so I did leave some chips and onion rings to fully stuff my belly with slaw and burger.
Liam really enjoyed the duck - I had a little taste and it was delicious. Perfect combination of aromatic duck meat, herbs, and vegetables balanced the whole meal - he cleared his plate.

We really enjoyed the food at The Shears and will be coming back there once Liam is back from his work trip - to try out more things on the menu, although I cannot promise that I won't go back to my delicious snails!